The fourth and final phase of the £16 million South West Inverness flood relief channel works is almost complete.
The scheme aims to protect 600 houses which are at risk of flooding on the south side of Inverness. The work intercepts five water courses including Cuduthel channel Lochardil burn, Slackbuie channel, Slackbuie springs and Alt na Skiah burn.
This final phase of the project began in November 2011 with the contract awarded to main contractor RJ McLeod Contractors Limited. The works are being supervised by The Highland Council’s TEC Services site team and the contract designers are Leeds-based AECOM. The project is due to be completed in December 2012.
The total length of construction for Phase Four is 1,400 metres and extends from Lochardil burn to Ault Na Skiah. Approximately half of this will be buried precast concrete box culverts, the remainder will be open channel.
A spokesman for Highland Council said:
“We are now working on a number of fronts to complete the installation of buried concrete box sections adjacent to Slackbuie distributor road and adjacent to housing at Upper Slackbuie.
“In addition we are completing the works on open channel constructions and the intake structure in Ault na Skiah Burn above Fairways Golf Course.”
Phase One of the project commenced at the River Ness and travels up the Holm Burn to Holm Burn Bridge. The works included increasing the capacity of Holm Burn, the widening and deepening of an existing sediment pond, and the replacement of two bridges.
Phase Two involved construction of the confluence at Holm Burn, sedimentation pond and weir to catch sediment from the channel prior to its discharge into the Holm Burn. A combination of culverted sections and open channel were constructed from the Holm Burn confluence to Culduthel Channel.
Phase three was a combination of culverted sections and open channel, beginning at Culduthel Channel and ended at Lochardil Burn, Old town of Leys.
Works have also been completed to replace the B862 Holm Burn Bridge as part of the scheme. This replacement means the bridge is wider and flood capacity of the bridge is increased. Developers are also funding the provision of a cycleway to access a proposed adjacent development.
The project is one of three flood alleviation schemes currently undertaken by Highland Council. The others involve work on the River Ness and Mill Burn.
